Sunday, April 6, 2014

Author-illustrator Kate Samworth dropped by to answer four questions and finish two of my sentences. Thank you, Kate!

Please watch the book trailer before you read the interview.

Mr. Schu: Author
and teacher extraordinaire Donalyn Miller highly recommended Aviary Wonders Inc. Spring Catalog and Instruction Manual during a session at the Michigan Reading Association Annual Conference. As
soon as I returned home from Michigan, I read it. It is unique, brilliant, disturbing, and a 2014 must-read.

I read that it was inspired by a visit to Brazil. Please
share that story with us.

Kate Samworth: I speak Portuguese and love Brazilian music,
so I took a trip to Brazil. I had intended to see a lot of the country, but
once I discovered a national park called Chapada Diamantina (in Bahia), I
decided to stay put. It was extremely beautiful and full of wildlife. The birds
were noisy, abundant, and came in colors and shapes I’d never imagined. Once I
returned to the States, I wanted to identify some of the birds that I had seen,
and so began to read about them and the environmental challenges they face.
Then I began to look more closely at the birds where I live and at how they are
affected by human behavior.

Mr. Schu: I’m thankful three-time
Caldecott Medalist David Wiesner encouraged you to create a children’s book.
Were you one of his students? Kate Samworth: I
had the good fortune to take a class with David Wiesner while I was studying
printmaking at the PA Academy of the Fine Arts. I had been working on the bird
building concept for a few years and showed it to him in various stages. He
liked the idea and encouraged me to see it through.

Mr. Schu: I automatically give a picture book extra bonus points
if the case is different from the jacket. A+++, Kate!

Kate Samworth: I
was very happy that Clarion decided to print the case the way they did, and I’m
glad you looked under the dust jacket! That was originally intended to be the
endpapers, but was too overwhelming. There are references to some painters that
I admire in the “photos,” such as figures and settings taken from John Singer
Sargeant and Carolus-Duran.

Mr. Schu: I
wish I could visit the McGuffey Art Center between April 1 and April 27. What
am I missing out on?

Kate Samworth: Original artwork from the book and sketches
and color studies from the dummy will be shown at McGuffey Art Center in
Charlottesville this month. Then the exhibit will move to Artisphere in
Arlington, VA from May 7th to June 15th.

About Mr. Schu

I am a part-time lecturer at Rutgers University and the Ambassador of School Libraries for Scholastic. I work diligently to put the right book in every child's hand. Book trailers are one way to connect readers with books. (All opinions shared are on own.)